ICC picks Malinga to promote World T20

NEW DELHI: The International Cricket Council on Friday named Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga as the event ambassador for the World Twenty20 to be held in the island nation later this year.

The explosive fast bowler with the sling-arm action is expected to play a key role in Sri Lanka’s fortunes in the 12-nation event starting on September 18.

Malinga will be the “face” of the World Twenty20 advertising campaign in the host nation and will promote the event globally, the ICC said in a statement.

“His distinct, stylish and colourful personality is synonymous with the intensity of Twenty20 cricket,” the governing body added.

Malinga, 28, who gave up Test cricket last year to prolong his limited-overs career, said he was “honoured” to play a part in the first World Twenty20 to be hosted by an Asian nation.

“I sincerely thank the ICC for giving Sri Lanka the opportunity to host an event of this magnitude and I invite all cricket fans to show their support and unite in the spirit of the game,” he said.

Malinga is the only bowler to have taken four wickets off successive deliveries in international cricket, achieving the feat against South Africa in the 2007 50-over World Cup in the Caribbean.
He is also the only bowler to have claimed three one-day international hat-tricks.
Malinga has taken 101 wickets in 30 Tests, 186 wickets in 118 one-dayers and 40 wickets in 32 Twenty20 internationals.
England will defend the title at the fourth edition of the World Twenty20, having won the 2010 event in the Caribbean. India (2007) and Pakistan (2009) won the first two editions.

Two-year ban on players who refuse Sri Lanka Cricket contracts

Sri Lanka's sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said that his ministry will impose a ban on athletes who do not sign contracts with national sport bodies.

The minister referred to Lasith Malinga as the reason for this new policy.

"I am a great follower of fast bowler Lasith Malinga but that does not mean that I condone all his actions," Aluthgamage told Sri Lanka's Sunday Times newspaper.

"We have taken the cue from Malinga. In future, if sportspersons who are performing at national level fail to sign their central contracts with their specific sports bodies we will slap a two-year ban on them."

"This is a trend that we must nip in the bud. I find fault with the administrators for not getting tough on the players," the minister added.

"For instance, in the contract it is stipulated that a cricketer must be in the country at least two weeks prior to a tour. But, most of the cricketers who were engaged in the IPL returned to the island only a few days before the Pakistan tour. Yet, the SLC officials have not taken any action against anyone. As I understand, most of them still even have not signed their central contracts. That’s bad.

“However, in the future, sportspersons engaged in any discipline at national level and do not sign the central contract will face the two-year ban."

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) cannot present new contracts to players this year, as they have been unable to honour contract payments from the previous contract period. The dire financial crisis at SLC has meant that the cricket board still owes players several months in back pay.

Aluthgamage is yet to initiate any investigation into the conduct of government-appointed cricket board officials who left SLC in nearly US$ 70 million in debt after co-hosting the World Cup last year.

Furthermore, the cricket board also earns a significant sum from their Indian counterparts for allowing Sri Lankan players to participate in India's T20 tournament - the IPL.

Malinga told Island Cricket in April that the Sri Lankan media, who claimed he had refused to sign a contract, had got it wrong.Interestingly, Malinga told Island Cricket in April that the Sri Lankan media, who claimed he had refused to sign a contract, had got it wrong. According to the Sri Lankan paceman, he has not been offered a contract to refuse.

"No contracts have been offered yet for this year for any of the players," Malinga said.

"But whether I decide to play with or without [a] contract, does not really matter as I am still 100-percent available for selection for all ODI and T20 commitments for Sri Lanka just like I was last year."

Although there was no outcry or opposition from Sri Lankan journalists, the sports ministry or SLC officials last year; Malinga played as a non-contracted player from March 2011 to February 2012.

In addition, SLC intends on introducing a clause in their new contracts that prevents non-contracted players from using any of SLC facilities, including SLC-owned gyms and nets.

© Island Cricket

Kohli, Malinga claim ODI honours in 2011

Indian youngster Virat Kohli emerged as the top batsman in One-Day Internationals in 2011, while Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga took home the bowling honours.

Kohli finished top with a tally of 1381 runs in 34 matches, having played a vital role in India's World Cup triumph in March-April. Jonathan Trott was a close second with 1315 runs in 29 matches, while Shane Watson accumulated 1139 runs in 23 ODIs.

Malinga was equally unstoppable with the ball as he claimed 48 wickets in 24 matches, while Pakistan leg-spinner took 45 wickets in 27 games.

A look at the top-20 batsmen and bowlers in ODIs in 2011:

Top-20 batsmen in ODIs in 2011:

	Mts	Inns	NO	Runs	Hs	Avg	SR	100	50
V Kohli (Ind)	34	34	5	1381	117	47.62	85.56	4	8
IJL Trott (Eng)	29	28	3	1315	137	52.60	80.03	2	10
SR Watson (Aus)	23	22	2	1139	185*	56.95	108.89	2	8
KC Sangakkara (SL)	27	25	3	1127	111	51.22	73.32	1	9
Mohammad Hafeez  (Pak)	32	32	3	1075	139*	37.06	76.34	3	5
DPMD Jayawardene (SL)	27	24	2	1032	144	46.90	82.62	3	7
Misbah-ul-Haq (Pak)	31	26	8	964	93*	53.55	68.07	0	9
MJ Clarke (Aus)	24	22	6	900	101	56.25	79.64	1	6
WU Tharanga (SL)	22	21	3	826	133	45.88	75.71	4	2
TM Dilshan (SL)	28	27	1	820	144	31.53	86.04	2	4
LMP Simmons (WI)	17	17	1	792	122	49.50	79.75	1	8
Umar Akmal  (Pak)	29	23	4	785	91	41.31	90.22	0	6
MS Dhoni  (Ind)	24	22	9	764	91*	58.76	89.88	0	6
Younis Khan  (Pak)	27	24	3	744	81	35.42	76.46	0	6
BRM Taylor (Zim)	17	17	2	743	128*	49.53	85.59	3	4
SK Raina (Ind)	29	27	4	722	84	31.39	99.58	0	4
G Gambhir (Ind)	19	19	1	720	97	40.00	87.06	0	7
MJ Guptill (NZ)	16	15	3	650	105	54.16	77.19	1	4
V Sehwag (Ind)	12	12	0	645	219	53.75	123.09	2	1
DM Bravo (WI)	24	23	3	637	86	31.85	69.84	0	5

Top-20 bowlers in ODIs in 2011:

	Mts	Overs	Mdns	Runs	Wkts	Best	Avg	RpO	4WI
SL Malinga (SL)	24	192.1	12	924	48	6-38	19.25	4.80	3
Shahid Afridi  (Pak)	27	224	9	937	45	5-16	20.82	4.18	6
MG Johnson (Aus)	22	184.1	10	817	39	6-31	20.94	4.43	3
Saeed Ajmal  (Pak)	20	166.4	17	581	34	4-35	17.08	3.48	1
B Lee (Aus)	19	156.1	10	717	33	4-15	21.72	4.59	3
Mohammad Hafeez (Pak)	32	229	15	811	32	3-27	25.34	3.54	0
MM Patel (Ind)	21	163.3	8	879	32	4-29	27.46	5.37	2
TT Bresnan (Eng)	24	210.2	10	1136	32	5-48	35.50	5.40	1
GP Swann (Eng)	21	192	11	853	31	3-18	27.51	4.44	0
Z Khan (Ind)	14	127.5	6	620	30	3-20	20.66	4.85	0
KAJ Roach (WI)	23	188.5	5	935	30	6-27	31.16	4.95	1
R Rampaul (WI)	15	120.3	6	601	28	5-51	21.46	4.98	4
Umar Gul (Pak)	23	158.2	13	733	28	4-36	26.17	4.62	1
M Morkel (SA)	14	102.5	4	459	26	4-22	17.65	4.46	2
DW Steyn (SA)	14	110.3	6	483	25	5-50	19.32	4.37	1
TG Southee (NZ)	13	111.5	9	529	25	5-33	21.16	4.73	1
Shakib Al Hasan (Ban)	20	162	8	702	25	4-16	28.08	4.33	1
R Ashwin (Ind)	18	155.1	3	731	25	3-28	29.24	4.71	0
JM Anderson (Eng)	18	156.2	8	873	25	4-18	34.92	5.58	1
RA Jadeja (Ind)	13	112	5	555	24	4-33	23.12	4.95	1